Nigeria’s Ibukun Awosika and South Africa’s Leslie Maasdorp were selected to be part of the eleven-member group which is stacked with heavyweights from the worlds of business and politics.
On 22 September, leading crypto exchange Binance announced the creation of a Global Advisory Board (GAB) for the firm.
The board, which recently convened in Paris, features eleven members with long and distinguished careers in business and politics.
Two of the board members are from Africa. The first is Nigeria’s Ibukun Awosika, who is the founder of office furniture company, The Chair Centre, and served as Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria. Awosika has also served as a member of the G7 International Task Force for Impact Investing and sat on the board of Cadbury Nigeria.
The second African named to Binance’s GAB is South Africa’s Leslie Maasdorp, who currently serves as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of South Africa’s New Development Bank. Maasdorp has also held senior roles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Barclays Capital and was formerly International Adviser to Goldman Sachs.
Binance’s GAB is chaired by Max Baucus, who has served as U.S. Ambassador to China, Senator of Montana and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance. The remaining members of the board are similarly impressive and hail from Brazil, France, Germany, Korea, Mexico and the UK.
According to the press release, the purpose of the board will be to advise Binance on the most challenging regulatory, political, and social issues faced by the entire crypto industry as it continues to grow and evolve rapidly.
All GAB members provided quotes in the press release. Below are the quotes from Awosika and Maasdorp.
The transparency and accountability with which Binance seeks to deliver services to its clients is impressive. As a company of the future, Binance must continue to evolve, build and find solutions in real time. I am proud to play a role as a member of its Global advisory board and to be a part of truly transforming the web3 economy.
Ibukun Awosika (Nigeria)
The blockchain and crypto industry can act as a true catalyst for growth and economic opportunities. For the cities that are willing to partner with companies like Binance in order to create progressive regulations and an effective Web3 environment, I expect it to enable a number of investments into the space. I look forward to working with a number of experts as part of Binance’s Global Advisory Board in order to collaborate.
Leslie Maasdorp (South Africa)
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